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What TV are you watching and how would you rate it? [Revive from FRDB]

The Wire (The Complete Series)

The show gets raving reviews and I thought the show was deserving of it. Seasons 1 to 4 were great, but like most shows (except Angel), the final season felt a little off. While the new characters added in Season Two helped set up the necessary proponents for the show, the Newspaper angle in Season Five seemed almost like an afterthought. It was hard to really feel all too invested in the characters. Season Five also was a bit more telegraphed. Very little seemed in doubt, it was more about when than what for me.

Please don't read if you don't want spoilers.

Simple matter of fact, the best bad guy protagonist ever on screen is Omar. That character was about as good as it gets. And the way the show ends for him seemed about as brutal for him as it was the viewer.

The ending for the local coop didn't flesh well for me. Based on how the supplier was in the beginning, it seemed unlikely they'd move forward as they did.

Overall, the show ends tying up enough knots, but leaving some stuff out there hanging to be satisfying.


Now I need to find a new show.
 
Programming note on The Wire, HBO is airing all seasons in HD after Christmas. It will be available in some other places like iTunes too. Which is good for those like me, who've wanted to watch it but didn't want to bother with getting all the DVDs, since there is never any streaming option.
 
blastula said:
Programming note on The Wire, HBO is airing all seasons in HD after Christmas. It will be available in some other places like iTunes too. Which is good for those like me, who've wanted to watch it but didn't want to bother with getting all the DVDs, since there is never any streaming option.
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The Wire is available on Amazon Prime.
 
Mageth said:
Well worth your time...
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provided you agree that humans in general are insipid, mindless sheep helplessly slaved before the eeeeeeevil of technology, and that bitches be crazy yo and all women are good for is crying and nagging.
oh, that being smart is the worst thing you can do, and memories are eeeeeevil and the cause of all human woes.

the show has some amazing production values, but gods the heavy-handed anti-progress histrionics got old by the 3rd episode.
 
Mageth said:
Watched the first two seasons (6 episodes total) of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror on Netflix.

Think Twilight Zone or Outer Limits for the 21st Century. The wiki page calls it "techno-paranoia" - that's about right.

Well worth your time...
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I just watched the 2014 Christmas special starring Jon Hamm. Good stuff.
 
America's version of Broadchurch, Gracepoint, wrapped last week.

They did change the ending...but it did not enhance the story. Instead it weakened everything.


The switch up made Emmett appear to be a poor detective. His being intuitive saves him from looking half-ass and this case ends up not being his vindication for his earlier case that went so wrong. Or at least it ends that way, with Emmett looking determined to find the truth and Ellie ready for a fight.

As such, it absolutely destroyed the Ellie character. It changed her from a loving mother and wife and well-intentioned, dedicated small town detective, to a corrupt cop, bad detective, and terrible wife and mother.

Emmett tells his boss to not promote Ellie because she is not ready for his [Emmett's] position and he's right. Ellie's more suited to being a mafia don, uncaring of justice or the law when it comes to her family and friends. Any sympathy we had for her earlier - and it was a lot - is completely gone.



Gracepoint is

done with nowhere to go. Broadchurch continues on because Ellie remained a sympathetic character.

 
British legal procedural Silk. I find it quite refreshing after massive overexposure to American legal system on television and movies, and the overall drama arcs aren't and acting aren't that bad either. Now I can't imagine how anyone could seriously consider dispensing justice without wearing a wig.
 
Mageth said:
Watched the first two seasons (6 episodes total) of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror on Netflix.

Think Twilight Zone or Outer Limits for the 21st Century. The wiki page calls it "techno-paranoia" - that's about right.

Well worth your time...
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I enjoyed the first episode. Made it halfway through the second before my internet connection crapped out, but I'll pick it up later.
 
Doctor Who Series 8 (Rewatching now that DVD is out)
So I thought this was a decent season when watching it on T.V
Going through and rewatching some of the earlier episodes has led to some changes in opinion
I think Deep Breath is stronger then I originally gave it credit for the first time round
I also found that I liked Into the Dalek more the second time
Robots of Sherwood is probably going to be my corny pleasure for this season because it is really stupid but just alot of fun
Listen is one which I am a little more divided on
On one hand it has some absolutely amazing moments and a strong central premise (And I liked how they played up the Irrational Fear vs Rational Explanations for what was happening and the sounds being made)
But the ending really bugged me on rewatching
it just felt like too much, and that the ending was dominated too much by Clara when I would have really liked to see the Doctor resolve the problem
 
Daioh said:
Doctor Who Series 8 (Rewatching now that DVD is out)
So I thought this was a decent season when watching it on T.V
Going through and rewatching some of the earlier episodes has led to some changes in opinion
I think Deep Breath is stronger then I originally gave it credit for the first time round
I also found that I liked Into the Dalek more the second time
Robots of Sherwood is probably going to be my corny pleasure for this season because it is really stupid but just alot of fun
Listen is one which I am a little more divided on
On one hand it has some absolutely amazing moments and a strong central premise (And I liked how they played up the Irrational Fear vs Rational Explanations for what was happening and the sounds being made)
But the ending really bugged me on rewatching
it just felt like too much, and that the ending was dominated too much by Clara when I would have really liked to see the Doctor resolve the problem
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I think Deep Breath felt disappointing at the time because there was so much anticipation for the new season. And we hadn't seen what utter crap the rest of it ended up being. Personally I think Into the Dalek and Time Heist ended up being slightly better still.
 
Spartacus: Blood and Sand - 9/10

This is a frigging awesome show. It's all overstyalized violence and neo-Shakespearean dialogue, but exceptionally well done. Also, lots of boobies. I've finished season one and am starting on the prequel season. Apparently, the main guy died of cancer after the first season, so they had to replace him. That's sad because he was extremely good (also, generically sad in the "someone died of cancer" kind of way). Hopefully, his replacement keeps up the quality of the work.
 
So finally finished rewatching Doctor Who S8

My thoughts (No spoilers but hidden to save space)


Time Heist, I liked this first time around and just as much this time around, I consider this one of this seasons best stories
The Caretaker, much like Robots of Sherwood I kinda liked this episode as it was simple but fun
Kill the Moon, I'm gonna be honest and say that I liked this episode, it had some interesting ideas, a solid setup and some great sets/effects
The ending sucked however, I will not defend the last few minutes but everything else about that episode I thought was pretty solid
Mummy on the Orient Express, this is the other of "The Best" episodes from this season (with Time Heist), the mummy was creepy, the setup was good and the story just worked really well
Flatline, I like this episode, but not as much as Time Heist or Mummy episode, which is odd because I think Flatline has alot of good ideas and was executed really well, but maybe this is more of the earlier problem I had with Listen that I would have liked more of the Doctor in the resolution
In the Forest of the Night, I don't hate this episode, I think it isn't bad so much as it is just kinda bland and harmless
Dark Water/Death In Heaven, Missy is Awesome, I had no problem with the character reveal because the actress just sells herself in the role
and while the overall ending was a little weak, I thouhgt that it was alright as finales go

Overall I would give the season a solid 7/10, as it had some great episodes backed up with alot of solid episodes
Some episodes may have misfired a bit but I don't think there are any true stinkers anywhere amonst them
I did think that they should have been a bit more consistent with Clara as she seems to flip flop between loving the Adventures and hating the Doctor while never really commiting either way
And I liked him the first time round, but on the rewatch Danny Pink started to come across as a bit of jerk and by the end I actually found myself caring for him less and less

 
I saw a trailer today for an American show starring Ioan Gruffudd, cheered because a talented British actor with a lovely native Welsh accent, and who does a good line in RP, had not been made to affect an American accent. Then realised that they've made him speak an odd cobbled together imitation of cockney.
 
spikepipsqueak said:
I saw a trailer today for an American show starring Ioan Gruffudd, cheered because a talented British actor with a lovely native Welsh accent, and who does a good line in RP, had not been made to affect an American accent. Then realised that they've made him speak an odd cobbled together imitation of cockney.
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The show is called "Forever" and his character is someone who never dies and has been alive for centuries, so the strange accent is probably to indicate his earlier roots, so to speak.
 
It's not a bad show, Forever. It's obviously yet another imitation Sherlock Holmes, with all the requisite pillar characters (Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Moriarty), but it has an interesting twist with the main character--having died so many times--being both fascinated and repulsed by death.
 
spikepipsqueak said:
Ah! Thanks. :) That explains the cobbling together of accents, too. :thumbs:
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James Brown said:
It's not a bad show, Forever. It's obviously yet another imitation Sherlock Holmes, with all the requisite pillar characters (Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Moriarty), but it has an interesting twist with the main character--having died so many times--being both fascinated and repulsed by death.
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I like the show. And the network has ordered more episodes so that' s good.

It's kinda Sherlocky but not really because the main character Henry is only seen as mildly eccentric and he has a family and is not anti-social.
 
credoconsolans said:
James Brown said:
It's not a bad show, Forever. It's obviously yet another imitation Sherlock Holmes, with all the requisite pillar characters (Holmes, Watson, Mycroft, Moriarty), but it has an interesting twist with the main character--having died so many times--being both fascinated and repulsed by death.
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I like the show. And the network has ordered more episodes so that' s good.

It's kinda Sherlocky but not really because the main character Henry is only seen as mildly eccentric and he has a family and is not anti-social.
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Wellll, he's a little anti-social, for the logical reason that for fear his secret gets out and causes all sorts of havoc in his personal life, he's reluctant to share any private details with co-workers.

The show is also doing the Moonlighting dance in slowly building a romantic relationship between himself and the fetching detective. All opposite gender buddy-cop-slash-police-procedurals are required to follow that well-worn trend, one of the many reasons I no longer enjoy Castle. But in Forever, he's logically reluctant to get into romantic relationships because it's so painful to outlive your loved ones.

But yes, he's certainly more socially well-adjusted than, say, Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock. It's a wonder he hasn't been shot down in his own home by the cops.
 
Watching mostly mindless tv shows in order to relax as much as possible - so it's Cops. :D

Great show to watch when you don't want to watch tv fully but have it on in the background.
 
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